NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a petition filed by Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad challenging his arrest by Haryana police for his alleged statement on 'Operation Sindoor'.
Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, appearing for Professor Mahmudabad, told the two-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai and also comprising Justice Augustine George Masih, that he was arrested for his patriotic statements, clarified that his comments had been completely misunderstood. Please list the matter for hearing.
After hearing from Sibal, the bench of the top court said it would list the matter for hearing on May 20 or 21.
Mahmudabad, the Associate Professor and head of the Political Science department at Ashoka University in Haryana, was arrested from his residence in New Delhi on Sunday following two FIRs filed under serious charges, including those related to endangering the sovereignty and integrity of India, in connection with his social media commentary on Operation Sindoor. Following his arrest, he was remanded to two days ' police custody.
The prosecution charged him with endangering India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity for his alleged comments on Operation Sindoor.
Meanwhile, Ashoka University on Monday said that the administration is in the process of ascertaining details of the case against its professor.
"The University will continue to cooperate with the Police and local authorities in the investigation, fully," a statement from the University read.
Meanwhile, the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) and National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) have strongly condemned the arrest of Ali Khan Mahmudabad.
A statement issued in this regard, noted that the arrest was strangely preceded by the summons served on him by the Haryana State Women’s Commission on May 12, 2025, after which an FIR was registered against him by the Sonipat police station.
The notice accused his posts of ‘malicious intent’ and accused him for ‘violating the dignity and outraging the modesty of women.’ Further, the media reports that the FIR against him has pressed charges of ‘sedition.'!
"We consider this Notice and the subsequent arrest as a deliberate attempt to harass an academic who has supported the need for maintaining peace and communal harmony. The social media posts for which he has been targeted explicitly applaud the sacrifices of the armed forces and praised the efforts of the government in holding the Pakistan accountable for cross border terrorism. Dr Mahmudabad uses the example of the press conference led by Col Sofia Qureshi and Wing Cdr Vyomika Singh, to celebrate national unity and to highlight the urgency of fighting communal targeting and polarization," the statement said.
The outfits said they considered the arrest of Dr Mahmudabad as "an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression."
"We consider it one more instance of the misuse of police and statutory institutions like the State Women’s Commission by the BJP-led government to target intellectuals and activists especially from a specific religious community. The same Haryana SWC remains silent on growing atrocities on women in Haryana," the statement said as it demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Ali Khan Mahmudabad, and the withdrawal of the FIR and HSWC summons against him.
